ATC F News
“A single act of kindness throws out roots in all directions, and the roots spring up and make new trees.”
- Amelia Earhart
If the words of Amelia Earhart hold true, Nita Matheson is responsible for cultivating a whole forest in the Philippines. Nita grew up in a small town of about 30,000 people called Naval, which is located in the province of Biliran, located in Leyte, in the Philippines. Her mother was a teacher and her father was the Mayor of Naval back when Nita was attending the local public elementary school, Naval Central School (NCS). Today NCS has over 1,000 students and 39 teachers, all of whom have benefited from Nita’s many acts of kindness in the years since she left the Philippines to come to America—where she now works as a program analyst for the FAA’s ATO.
Nita first came to America in 1971, but she always intended to return to the country of her birth and give back to her community. In 2005 Nita founded the William F. Matheson Computer Laboratory at the NCS in honor of her late husband, a retired U.S. Air Force Officer. She started the lab by donating ten computers and workstations, a digital camera, printer, school supplies, and Internet service. She even paid to renovate the lab with new paint, tile, and curtains to make a welcoming environment for the students. From her home in the U.S., Nita worked with a man in the Philippines, who arranged to purchase the required equipment and set up the lab without ever having met her. On the day the lab was commissioned, Nita returned to the Philippines for the first time in 34 years, and saw first-hand the results of her generosity. The students and teachers were excited to have access to computers and the Internet—some for the first time in their lives—and acknowledged the huge improvement the lab would make in the quality of their education.
Why does someone like Nita feel compelled to give back so much? She realized from a young age that she lived a life of privilege compared to many other children, such as her mother’s students, who lived in total poverty. Many other children did not even go to school because they lacked the proper school supplies or clothing, but her mother promised to give them t-shirts and supplies if they would return to school. Needless to say, as she grew up, Nita aspired to follow in the footsteps of her charitable mother.
Nita’s acts of kindness have continued over the years—she has also distributed over 1,000 pairs of shoes, 1,000 toothbrushes and tubes of toothpaste, sports equipment, food, books, Christmas decorations and presents, as well as funding for the construction of a pathway in the local cemetery. After Typhoon Yolanda damaged the town of Naval in November 2013, Nita coordinated relief to her hometown where she was able to put the donations of others to work, helping about 700 families.
Nita left the Philippines to pursue a life in America, and she went to work for the FAA, worked hard and became successful. Her success has afforded her the opportunity to fulfill her desire to continuously give back to the community where she was born. “After visiting several countries all over the world, I’m even more inspired to continue what I’m doing to save the indigent children of my hometown.” Though in her words she has put only “a tiny dent on child poverty and illiteracy” there, she has accomplished great acts of kindness that will echo for generations to come in Naval.
Typhoons cause a lot of damage in the Philippines, and among the assistance Nita Matheson has given to the children at Naval Central School was the “Feeding Program” (pictured above) after a typhoon this past July and August. She continues to contribute, along with friends, by sending funds and supplies to villages suffering after such storms as Yolanda or Haiyan.
Related Search Keywords:
- digital camera OR digital cameras